Would some of you experienced casters help me out? This was my first attempt at casting my own balls. It is becoming a learning experience. From the pics. what do I need to do different? The balls seem pretty wrinkled and some even have places that are void.

Also, when I flux my lead, is a flame always suppose to appear? I got a lot of smoke, but no flame. I used about a marble size piece of wax from an old candle.

Thx.

Either your lead is not hot enough or the mold is contaminated with oil. Most likely it's the lead temperature.

Don't worry about not having the flux flame. It's not at all necessary and its only benefit is to burn off the smoke/smell. I don't flux my lead at all - just get it real hot, stir and skim. I stir the lead with a ten inch piece of heavy wire mounted on a wood handle cut from a piece of broomstick. Stir and skim, stir and skim, etc. A point is reached where no crud comes to the top when stirred, and the lead is perfectly clean.

What type of set up are you using? Burner/pot/ladle? Electric pot?

I'd have to say both, oil contaminated, doesnt take a whole lot to ruin the first castings, and the lead looks a bit to cool.

When casting, after you pour the lead into the mold, it should stay molten for 4 to 5 seconds and then glaze over and harden.

I'm using an electic "hot pot 2". I'm thinking I may have waited to long before filling the mold between castings and the mold cooled off a bit. I think I might have spent to much time checking out the balls that fell from my mold. I would hate to think I bought the "hot pot 2" and it doesn't get the lead hot enough.

Anyways...

I'm going to try again tomorrow and move a little quicker after dropping the balls from the mold.

That's a real possibility Mike. You need to develop a steady rhythm to cast good balls. There's no time for inspection of individual balls. Your first few may be wrinkled or have voids until the mold heats up. As Devil stated, when the temperature is right the sprue should take a few seconds to set. Once it sets, dump the ball on something soft (I use a folded towel) and fill the mold immediately. If the sprue seems to be taking longer and longer to set slow down a little between balls. Pretty soon you will get a feel for the speed that works best.

Thanks guys...I'm going to speed up a bit and I'll take a few more pics tomorrow to post.

I appreciate your advice and help.

Mike , hold the front bottom corners of the mold in the melted lead just the corners to heat the mold so I don't have to remelt so many, just pour steady for a hundred balls before looking so you know when you check the last ones out the mold has reached the temperature it will hold when you pour steady the first few are expected to be remelts.

If you notice your ball look like they are frosted and not shinny the mould is to hot and not cooling quick enough. Lead temp I like is about 800 o/o

I believe your mould wasn't hot enough. Don't worry about (I hate to say this in here) checking your balls. If you can, place the edge of your mould in the molten lead to help heat it up. Even then you will have to cast maybe 10 cycles before your mould is sufficiently hot enough. Once it is, don't stop just keep going. Just stop long enough to add lead to the pot.

Before I start casting, I clean the mold with alcohol. Then when it's dry I apply my mold lube. It looks like either your lead is not hot enough, or your mold is too cool. Turn the heat up a little more. Like Lee said, hold the corner of the mold in the lead. Count to thirty. Lift the mold. The lead should fall off back in the pot. And when you get casting stick with it. Do not stop to admire your... work. It takes time but when you find the groove, cast like the devil.